p. 4 | The Testimony of Jesus by George W. Reaser

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 2, 1912

The Testimony of Jesus

By George W. Reaser

I—Jesus Christ as Prophet

The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev. 19:10.

NOT long ago, the late Arthur T. Pierson, then editor-in-chief of the Missionary Review of the World, raised the question in said journal as to the meaning of the inspired words, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Doubtless he voiced the mental inquiry of many Bible students. Without reviewing the explanation given by Dr. Pierson, let us undertake to analyze the text, and if the Lord wills, discover its treasured meaning.

To the apostle John, through God's mighty angel, came the words which form the basis of our study.

Analysis of the Text

In analyzing the text, naturally our first inquiry would be, What is the signification of the word "testimony"? The universally accepted definition of the term is, the evidence given by a witness, whether in or out of court. But why is the word employed in connecting the name of Jesus with "the spirit of prophecy"? We discover the answer to this question when we learn that Jehovah says of Jesus, "I have given Him for a witness to the people." Isa. 55:3, 4. From the fact that Jesus is the one, above all others, commissioned of Heaven to bear witness to the people, what titles have been bestowed upon Him? Answer, "The Faithful Witness" and "The Faithful and True Witness." Rev. 1:5 and 3:14. And what did the angel say was His chosen method of witnessing, or bearing "testimony"?—By "the spirit of prophecy."

When Jehovah sent His Son into the world, to "bear witness to the truth," He said in an audible voice, "This is My beloved Son: hear Him." Luke 9:35.

Things Proved by the Testimony of Jesus

What would Jesus be expected to prove and thereby establish in the minds of men, by the spirit of prophecy?

We will find the answer to our query in the character of His mission in coming personally into our world. He said of His mission, "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." In other words, He came, as a man, into our world to accomplish the plan of salvation. His witnessing by the spirit of prophecy began at the very foundation of the world, and, logically, should prove and establish those things that are absolutely essential to the plan of salvation, and the proof that He supplies must be of such a nature as will appeal to the highest orders of intelligent beings.

Essentials of the Plan of Salvation

Now what are the absolute essentials to a perfect and complete plan of salvation? Doubtless all will concur in the following list as embracing the essentials of the plan of redemption:

First, the eternal existence and universal sovereignty of a Supreme Being, who possesses creative power.

Second, the revelation of a Saviour possessing all power to pay sin's penalty, and to rescue men forever from their fallen condition, and thus from the ravages of death.

Third, a divinely inspired guide, containing a Heaven-sent revelation of the will of the Supreme Being, and a transcript of His perfect character, which guide shall also give faithful warning against all fatal deceptions, and convey a hope of immortality in perfect and ever-secure bliss.

While other details might be mentioned, yet all will agree that no plan of salvation can be complete without these three essentials.

In the plan of salvation which it offers to all members of the human family, the Christian religion boldly claims to possess these essentials. It sets forth Jehovah as the Supreme Being; it announces Jesus of Nazareth as the all-sufficient Saviour of men; it offers the Bible as the revelation of the will of Jehovah, and as the only safe guide-book to an eternal haven of bliss.

The Purpose of the Writer

The definite purpose of these articles is to demonstrate that the strongest evidence Heaven has supplied to establish a firm foundation for intelligent faith in these essentials of the plan of salvation is "the testimony of Jesus," which is "the spirit of prophecy." In view of the importance of the theme, may both reader and writer humbly invite the wisdom of that Spirit of which the Master said, "When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth," and "He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you." John 16:13, 14.

Heaven Chooses the Manner of Witnessing

This world's history has been one continuous court scene, so to speak. All the way down the stream of time, God and His truth have been on trial. As Lowell puts the thought,

Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne.

Men have persistently denied the existence of God, and the truthfulness of His Word. Jesus Christ bears the commission of Heaven to prove Jehovah's existence, to verify God's Word, to attest to His truth. He is not only "the faithful and true Witness," but He is the chief Witness. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." John 1:18. And His chosen method of witnessing is by "the spirit of prophecy." How do we know this? Because "He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John," that "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

It is reasonable to suppose that, having all wisdom, and holding the commission of Heaven to take special charge of the unfolding and of the development of the plan of salvation and also of the ultimate complete redemption of the world itself, He chose the best possible medium of giving double assurance for faith in God and in His Word.

It is worthy of our special notice that in the opening paragraphs of the book of Revelation, John informs us that he "bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ" (chapter 1:2), and that he was in the "isle that is called Patmos, for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ," and, while there, he wrote the book of Revelation, which is one of the most wholly prophetic books of the Bible, and is, moreover, "the revelation of Jesus Christ" (verse 1). We again have a corroboration of the fact in our text.

Why Called the "Spirit" of Prophecy?

How do we know that Jesus witnessed through the prophets? We are not left to guess at this fact, nor to assume it. Peter, speaking of the plan of salvation and of the part that the prophets performed in preannouncing it, said, "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." 1 Peter 1:10-12.

In the above quotation we are given the reason why "the testimony of Jesus" is